asparagus

I've never had it before but I bought some yesterday.
What's a good way to eat/cook it....?

I blanche them (I think that's what it's called).

Rinse them and snap off the bottom inch or so - they should break on their own, no need to cut.

Use a large frying pan and bring to a boil enough water that would cover the asparagus lying flat. Throw the asparagus in, and bring back to a boil. In about 3-4 minutes, the asparagus will become a brighter green. Remove them from the boiling water, and run them under cool water to stop them from cooking.

I don't always get the timing right, but so far, it's worked for me.

Lately, we've been having them with shrimp sauted in olive oil and garlic, over whole wheat angel hair pasta.

You can also steam them, stir fry them, add them to pastas/omletes/caseroles...  Basically just like lots of other veggies. I like to think of them as a broccoli substitute!

You can also eat them raw, they are a great addition to salads!

Makes sure you rinse them well though usually submerging them fully in water is best since sand can be trapped in the spear heads.

Enjoy!

I snap off the woody bottom, very lightly toss it with olive oil and a pinch of salt and garlic powder (very light on the garlic), then grill it until it's tender to the touch or can be slightly bent.

I usually just steam mine, not for to long though, asparagus tastes better when its nice and crunchy.

I blanch my asparagus too but I cook mine for 8 to 10 minutes - I don't like my veggies al dente.

I steam mine...sooo good.

ooh the best way to eat asparagus is break off the tough tips, lightly drizzle with olive oil (i actually just use calorie free cooking spray, just so it doesn't stick to the pan), season with salt and pepper and roast them at 500 degrees f for like 15 minutes. quick, easy and sooo good. and you can eat a ton of them without any guilt.

makes your pee smell though. fyi

i love eating blanched asparagus with hummus

Oh man, this is making me so hungry! i love asparagus. By far my favorite vegetable

Lately I've been grilling it on the oven the way alyssa recommends.  For the heck of it I put some on the barbecue.  I forgot about it and it got burned a little, but after crumbling off the ashy part it tasted good.  Asparagus with a smoky flavor.

I grill asparagus on my George Foreman grill.  Then, I put turkey and some light laughing cow cheese with the asparagus between 2 thin slices of bread.  Then, I put the whole thing on the GF grill and press it pannni style.  Yum!

Oh, and I separate the tips from the non-woody part of the stalks.  Then, I make soup with the stalks, a potato, onions and chicken stock.  I get a few meals out of a pound of asparagus :-).

Steamed or blanched.  I sometimes add a little country crock light and/or sea salt/fresh ground pepper.  You'll have to play with it a little to get it just right, don't give up, it's definitely worth it.

I love asparagus! I boil mine - I cut it up into 4 or 5 bite size pieces and discard the tough ends and boil them until tender. I read though that boiling rids veggies of nutrients so I need to get a steamer and do that instead. I like my asparagus plain with just a little mayo that I dip the pieces in to.

I roast them... I like them pretty shrivelled and well done.

Also chucked them into a soup lately which was pretty delicious.

Yummy chicken-asparagus stir-fry:

• Dice up some onions and garlic (my staples; you could skip this part if you're less addicted to them than I am) and lightly saute in frying pan.
• Add chopped chicken breast and cook until brown.
• Add chopped asparagus (cut off the woody bottom part then cut each spear into about 3 or 4 pieces) and a cup of chicken broth.  As the moisture in the chicken broth evaporates, it'll steam the asparagus.
• Toss in some cooked pasta.  Add fresh ground pepper and grated cheese to taste.  (I rarely add the cheese but mozzarella's nice.)

Original Post by dlsinchi:

I grill asparagus on my George Foreman grill. Then, I put turkey and some light laughing cow cheese with the asparagus between 2 thin slices of bread. Then, I put the whole thing on the GF grill and press it pannni style. Yum!

That sounds really good!  Might have to try next time I get some asparagus...

I generally roast it in the oven - little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes lemon juice for a great snack or side dish - too bad it's so expensive!

Has anyone had luck preparing frozen asparagus?  I always see it a the grocery store, but I'm afraid that it won't be as crunchy or good as fresh

I used to just boil it with about 1/2 cup lemon juice added to the water, but then a fellow CCer turned me on to roast asparagus, which I then spritz with lemon juice when it comes out from the oven--yum! Better than french fries.

I snap and boil (for about 2 mins, I like crunchy vegetables) in water with a touch of vinegar/citrus juice (I think it gives veggies a brighter flavour).  Drain, salt and pepper and shove in face....yum.

So I made asparagus the other day and this is how I did it... I steamed the stalks for about 15 minutes... then let them cook & minced portobello mushrooms and sprinkled them on top then rubbed them down with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper & thyme - then I roasted this all in the oven at about 500 degrees/broiling for roughly 5 to 10 minutes, turning 1 to 2 times. --- Very Delicious & Very Healthy ---